


Orchids

by Ammet_tua



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 11:26:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14307654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ammet_tua/pseuds/Ammet_tua
Summary: During a gala at a new planet, Allura is allowed to take two of the paladins with her.With an ambiance that only evokes romance, just one thing could happen.





	Orchids

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in a rush, so I'm sorry for any mistakes here.  
> There's little Nymatt mentioned.  
> I based this story on [this](https://aarspi.tumblr.com/post/165212052027/i-totally-didnt-make-a-short-comic-solely-cause-i) art, so shower the artist with love. This is also a gift for a friend who is having a rough time.  
> Enjoy!

Lance paced back and forth in the lounge, waiting to receive the news of the planet they have arrived at.

Allura was called for a diplomatic conversation on the castle and had only been allowed to take two companions with her. So she had chosen Coran, as her faithful ally and Shiro, as leader and head of Voltron. Lance couldn’t argue with it. After all, it was understandable.

He was nervous, bored and he had nothing to distract himself with. He thought about hanging out in the training room while the diplomatic team returned. Pidge, Hunk, and Matt took advantage of the fact that Coran was not there, to investigate the castle systems. Lance simply wasn't in the mood to have fun with them.

The sound of the door caught his attention. Pidge and Hunk ran into the living room and hid the several tools they were carrying in their hands behind the sofas, while Matt stayed at the door watching. Once they both settled casually in one of the sofas, Matt looked back. Pidge raised her thumb and Matt ran to them, dropping himself onto the sofa too. As if they had been there all the time that Allura and the others had left.

Lance was about to ask them what was wrong, but Allura's voice called them to the deck.

The four of made their way quickly through the hallways.

At the deck, Coran and Shiro flanked the princess, who was holding three wine-colored envelopes in her hands while smiling brightly.

Shiro and Coran were also smiling. It had been a long time since Lance had seen Shiro so happy and he wondered what had happened at the meeting to put him in such a good mood.

“Paladins,” Allura said, her voice was soft and she didn’t erase her smile while talking. “I have good news for you. The Orkids have agreed to a new meeting where they will decide if they will join the coalition. but on top of that,” her smile widened and under the confused gaze of the others, she stepped aside to reveal a hooded and masked figure between Coran and Shiro.

The mask disappeared to show Keith’s face with a small, shy smile on his lips.

Lance’s heart stopped for a moment, his stomach flipped… And that stupid suit didn’t help to give coherence to his thoughts. It did not help at all.

He heard Hunk stifle a cry and watched him bringing his fist to his mouth. Something he did when he was excited.

Before he could react, Pidge shouted Keith’s name as she lunged at him for a hug. Soon, everyone else followed suit and Lance stayed there, standing uncomfortable.

How long had he not seen Keith? And now, he’s there in front of him, wrapped in the arms of his friends.

Many feelings swirled in his stomach with force. Feelings that he couldn’t and didn’t want to face. Every single one lashed out at him just to see that smile on Keith’s face.

“Hey, Keith!” He said, trying to act as cool as possible. Keith looked back at him, his eyes expectant. Lance approached and they both shook hands, raising a fist. “It’s good to have you back, man.”

Keith smiled. Lance felt himself floating, but he concealed it as best as he could.

Allura stepped forward. “I know we’re happy because Keith has returned, but we have issues to attend as defenders of the universe. The Orkids have invited us to an important gala tonight and although I would like that every one of you to come with me, they have requested that only two paladins may attend as representatives of the team.” She showed them the envelopes decorated with golden details that stood out over the wine and gave it an elegant touch.

“Only two of us?” Asked Pidge, pressing her face against the castle’s glass to see outside.

“Besides me. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is,” Allura said, apologizing.

“I have to be there!” Said Lance, raising his hand. “It’s an elegant party, I can’t miss something like that!”

“But there’s food at parties, right? I wonder what kind of desserts such a planet could offer up.” Hunk looked away dreamily at the same place as Pidge.

“I would like to see the kind of technology that this civilization has, I mean, haven’t you seen the city?” said Pidge, extending her arms towards the impressive architecture of the palace in the distance, it seemed to flash the color of chrome at sunlight and its walls were covered with light-colored flower pods.

“The culture of the planet has changed a lot since our last visit here, princess,” Coran said, twisting his mustache.

It seems that everyone wanted to assist an alien gala on a planet that offered a view and vibrates pure elegance and romance. Something that Lance couldn’t ignore. Almost the entire planet was full of plants and flowers. What could have been expected from a planet that housed beings that looked like plants? Here everything seemed delicate and refined… Or Lance thought.

“I want to attend too,” Keith said, breaking Lance’s train of thought. Everyone turned to look at him with wide eyes.

“It seems that being out with the Blade of Marmora has made you more outgoing,” Pidge said.

“It’s for the Blade that I want to go to the gala,” said Keith, seriously.

At least he hadn’t crossed his arms.

“Wait, then you’re here just as a spy for the Blade?” asked Hunk.

Keith looked away and crossed his arms. Lance already said it was too good to be true.

“Yes,” Keith answered, closing his eyes.

_Oh._

“That’s not important for now, the important thing is that he is with us, at least for now,” Shiro said, resting his hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“But he’ll be gone again!” Hunk complained.

“Will you leave after the party?” Lance asked trying to ignore the knot that had formed in his throat.

Keith didn’t respond at the beginning and he couldn’t do it either.

“What if we decide who is gonna go the gala with something more classic from Earth?” Matt jumped to the side of Allura, saving Keith from answering. Lance wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer anyway.

“Like what?” Allura asked, curious.

“Rock, paper, scissors?” Hunk said.

Matt shook his head. “Not so classic. No. We all write our name on paper and leave it to a chance.”

“I was thinking about a fight in the training room.” Allura tilted her head innocently. Lance facepalmed himself discreetly. Of course, Allura would say something like that.

“I don’t think a fight is the best thing to do before a gala, princess,” Shiro said.

“Shiro is right, princess. The paladins could attend exhausted and we wouldn’t give a good impression,” said Coran. Allura agreed.

Everyone except her wrote their name and put the folded paper in a bowl Hunk brought from the kitchen.

Lance crossed his finger to be chosen. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pidge doing the same, jumping into place.

They agreed that Matt would be the one to take out the papers. He shook the bowl once making the papers jump inside again. Then he reached in and pulled out one.

There was silence between them all waiting for their name to be the one chosen.

Matt unfolded the paper with insufferable slowness. He read it once and showed it to them.

“Lance,” he said.

Lance smiled broadly and jumped with excitement raising his fist to the air. "Yes!”

“Congratulations, Lance,” said Allura, positioning herself beside him. “Who is gonna accompany us?” The princess asked Matt.

Matt shook the bowl again and stuck his tongue out in concentration while choosing another paper, discarded Lance’s. “Please! Please! Please!” Hunk was saying, his eyes closed.

Lance smiled, imagining how much fun the gala would be if he could take Hunk with him. He looked over his friends, imagining the scenarios of sharing the gala with each one of his friends.

Attending with Shiro would be the perfect opportunity to spend a whole night with him. With Pidge he could spend the night with conversation, always interesting and have fun, he imagined chasing her through the Orkid’s castle because some robot had caught her attention.

In itself, going with Allura was a dream come true. He proposed no return to the Castle of Lions until he had danced with her, at least one time.

Matt would be pure fun and jokes, but also the seriousness a night like this requires. And Coran, well, listening to his stories about the Orkid culture would perhaps, help him with his flirting. Finally, his sight fell on Keith.

Spending a gala night with Keith… involved many things that Lance didn’t want to think about.

“Keith,” Matt said, breaking Lance thoughts again, followed by several complaints from his friends. His face contracted. In what kind of grimace, he didn’t know, but he had. He watched with his mouth open, and quickly shut it at the risk of looking like an idiot, because, it had to be a joke, right?

Lance didn’t want to face what it meant, he didn’t even want to do it in his imagination, but apparently, destiny had other plans.

“Great!” Allura applauded.

Keith looked at Lance and Lance returned his gaze. He was not sure what he had caught in those violet eyes before they turned to Shiro, smiling.

“Yeah, great” Pidge smirk, sharing a knowing glance with Hunk. Lance growled at them, frowning because he didn’t understand what his friends were communicating telepathically.

“The only problem is what are they gonna wear,” Allura said, raising her hand to her chin.

“Leave it to me, princess,” Matt said, smirking.

 

Later that day, a ship landed near the castle.

Matt went out with the princess to meet the new arrivals.

Lance watched from the deck as Nyma left the ship along with Rolo. He tensed his lips. He no longer held a grudge, but seeing her was still uncomfortable for both of them. Every meeting they were in, they avoided crossing glances or crossing each other.

Anyway, that didn’t take away the fact that Matt was smiling like a fool when Nyma handed him two long packages. Lance knew that smile in her, although she looked more natural, almost adorable.

They weren't subtle with each other. Like. At. All. Everyone knew that those two spent much of their time together because of their resistance. Interestingly, Nyma and Rolo were always around when Matt needed them. To Lance that seemed like a timely excuse.

When Nyma and Rolo left and Allura and Matt had returned to the castle.

The princess handed a package to Lance and the other one to Keith. She told them to change and apologized to get ready herself.

Lance opened the package with Pidge and Hunk at each side of him, curious about the content. Lifting the lid, Lance found a dark blue vest. The cloth seemed so thin and soft on contact. Lance was left with his mouth open. He expected elegance, but he couldn’t imagine anything more beautiful. He didn’t want to thought about what Keith’s suit would look like.

“How did you get these suits?” Pidge looked up at Matt, who looked proud with his fists at his waist and his chin raised.

“The resistance has its contacts.” He winked at them.

“And Nyma has nothing to do with this, right?” asked Pidge, with the same smile he had used minutes ago.

Matt blushed and shook his head. “Of course not!” He said quickly.

“I think it’s time for you to get ready.” Hunk said to Lance, ignoring the Holt siblings. “Do you need help?”

“Come with me anyway,” Lance said.

At the same time, Keith and Shiro left the room. Lance bit the inside of his cheek.

 

In his room, Lance admired himself in front of the full-body mirror that Allura had lent him while Hunk helped him to fix his hair.

“I’m jealous. Do you promise to bring me something? A good pastry would be ideal.” Hunk said at his back. Lance let out a soft laugh.

“You know I will, buddy,”

Pidge entered his room with a small arrangement of flowers in her hands. Lance was reminded of a type of flower back on Earth, but he couldn’t remember the name. The veins of the flower were pale pink, contrasting with the blue petals.

“Coran sends them,” she said. “They are for the vest.”

“They are beautiful,” Hunk said. He took them from Pidge’s little hands and tucked them into Lance’s waistcoat pocket. “You look great! Are you nervous? You are unusually quiet.”

“He is about to attend a night gala with Allura and Keith, wouldn’t you be nervous too? How is it to assist to a party with your crushes, Lance?” Pidge tapped Hunk on his side.

“I don’t have a crush on Keith!” exclaimed Lance.

“You still don’t admit it, right?” Hunk said, smoothing the back of his vest.

“I don’t have a crush on Keith,” he repeated, frowning.

“I don’t know Lance, but maybe it’s time for you to stop lying about this. This situation here, could be a unique opportunity,” said Pidge, approaching the bed and offering him the chain that remained in the box.

“Think about it, dude. A night of partying on a planet that presents us a romantic atmosphere,” Hunk said.

“Allura could be engaged in politics all night,” Pidge continued.“It would be only you two. Like in a fairytale.”

“If you’ll only come to terms with your own feelings,” Hunk sympathized.

Lance twisted his lips, it wasn’t so much the fact of putting an order to his feelings, it was the fact of accepting them what frightened him. And he didn’t feel very convinced to speak it right now.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lance took the silver chain, watching it for a second and deciding where to put it.

“I think it’s an earring,” Pidge said. “Or at least, that’s what Matt told me.” She shrugged.

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to wear this, I never used earrings!”

“It’s magnetic, look,” she took the thin chain and at one end, she parted a couple of tiny plates. “Get down.”

Lance obeyed her. Pidge adjusted Lance’s earlobe between the two plates and gathered carefully.

“Ouch!” Lance complained when the plates pinched his ear.

“Sorry”

“Are you hurt?” Hunk asked him.

“No, it was just when they closed around my ear.” He admired himself in the mirror once more, looking from head to toe.

He liked what he saw. In fact, he always liked himself, but with that suit on, he looked even better. It accentuated his form and the colors contrasted with his skin and his combed hair. He tried not to think about what Keith would look like shaking his head hard.

“I have to say, you do not look so bad.” Pidge smiled at him.

Three knocks at the door announced Matt. He stuck his head out, smiling proudly. “You have to see this,” he said, pointing over his shoulder. “Looking good, Lance. Come on!”

Lance swallowed hard, hoping to see the princess in a more beautiful dress than she usually wore, on the deck and ready to go to the party.

And so it was, but that was not what took his breath away.

Allura was on the deck, wearing a dark blue dress and pink corset, decorated with white accents. Her long white hair was combed as she always wore it. On her lips, what Lance assumed was hairpins and her face was focused on the task that her hands carried out. In front of her, Keith was standing with his back to her.

His black hair was combed back and tied in a tiny ponytail. Some rebels strands continued covering part of his face, although Allura struggled to accommodate them. He wore a suit similar to his, except that his vest was a dark red that looked excellent on him. The earring fell from his ear and the other end fell to the neck of the black shirt.

Looking so good like that should be illegal.

When Keith noticed that he was being watched he fixed his eyes on Lance, whose stomach twitched again.

“What is it, Lance? Something off?” He asked.

 _That stupid suit is worse than the one of the Blade_ , Lance thought. He felt his face burning and looked away to hide his blush and scratched the back of his neck, evading Keith.

“No?” was all he could say. Not even an ingenious answer. The look of confusion on Keith was just adorable. It was more than Lance could handle. “You know what, I’ll be waiting for you there,” he said turning around and leaving the deck.

Although he managed to listen to the shared giggles of Pidge, Hunk, and Matt. And he didn’t want to look up at Shiro for help, because he was behind Keith and if he looked at him, he wasn’t sure he could take his eyes off of him again.

After an uncomfortable journey from the Castle of Lions to the Castle of the Orkids, Lance came to show his invitation at last at the two Orkids at the castle entrance.

The architecture and art inside the castle were even more impressive than its exterior facade.

What he supposed was the ballroom, was bathed in a faint golden light. There were windows everywhere, flanked by pillars similar to the Earth Greek style. Long red curtains fell from the ceiling to the ground. Everywhere there were flowers of beautiful light colors, and the essence that invaded the room was sweet and barely perceptible. The music was soft as the scent of the place but had it been on Earth, Lance wouldn’t have found a difference with a human gala.

Until the queen of the Orkids appeared before them.

She wasn’t taller than Allura and her skin had a lavender hue. She was wearing a golden crown wrapped in flowers, and her dress seemed to be made of petals.

She bowed to Allura, posing her pink and kind eyes on the princess.

“Thank you for coming, Princess Allura,” said the queen. Lance could have sworn he had never heard a softer voice.

“Thank you for inviting us, Queen Cattleya,” bowed Allura. “I’m pleased to introduce you to the paladins of the blue and red lions of Voltron.”She said, pointing first at Lance and then to Keith. Neither of them had spoken to each other at the moment and it was beginning to be more than uncomfortable, tense.

“It’s a pleasure. Please, enjoy the party," the queen said to them. "Princess Allura, could you please allow me a moment?” The Queen offered her hand to Allura, she accepted it instantly and they left together.

Lance stayed with Keith, not knowing what to do.

There was so much he wanted to say, and at the same time, he didn’t know what to say. He wanted to know how he had been at the Blade all this time he was gone, what he had done, how he felt with them. And most importantly, if he would go back soon.

With his departure, Keith had left in Lance a void he detested. He was still competing with his friends, but without Keith, something just didn’t feel right.

He hugged himself with one hand, fixing his eyes on the ground. Gathering the courage to start a conversation with Keith, he turned to him, but Keith was halfway in the room by the hand of an Orkid girl.

Lance ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach.

A young Orkid guy came to ask for a dance with him. Lance accepted it because he had nothing better to do now that Keith dances too and Allura was not around.

The whole time the song lasted, Lance kept his eyes on Keith. He was smiling kindly but Lance knew it was forced. His movements somewhat tense but not clumsy at all.

Lance raised his eyebrows. Keith didn’t seem a bad dancer, although he had never considered it before. When Keith made a mistake, he smiled apologetically while the Orkid with whom he danced laughed and shook her hand. Then his face contracted in a grimace of concentration again. He pressed his lips and followed the movements of his dance partner. Adorable.

Unlike Keith, Lance let himself be guided throughout the dance. His feet floated by the movements of the Orkid and by the experience he had. He loved dancing back on Earth, so he didn’t struggle.

When the song ended, the Orkid kissed his hand and thanked him for his time. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the Orkid kissed Keith on the cheek and retreat.

The Orkids were very sweet and respectful and that suited Lance. He would have felt like a dream if the tension between Keith wasn’t there. And he was not even sure Keith felt tense or uncomfortable by his side. He just seemed… Keith.

After two more pieces with different dance partners, Lance began to enjoy the atmosphere, but Keith’s image didn’t leave his mind. He had to talk to him or he would go crazy.

He looked around the room, saw Allura near a window talking with, Lance thought for the crown on his head, was the Orkid Prince. He located Keith just before he disappeared through the room door and turned into one of the corridors.

Lance ran after him, apologizing to those he pushed unintentionally. The hall outside the ballroom wasn’t as bright as the living room, but Lance didn’t pay much attention to it. He only cared to find Keith, who was nowhere to be seen.

Desperate, he trusted his instincts and ran to his left, following the path that took him to the garden. There was no trace of Keith, no red glow, no flash of hair. He continued until he turned around the hallway.

Through one of the windows, his eyes caught the objective of his running outside, in the garden. He was going to a white glass building that didn’t let the interiors to be seen.

The glass doors amazed him once he was in front of them and he had to caress the figures carved in the glass, soft and cold, before entering.

What received him, enchanted all his senses.

The sweet, faint scent of the room didn’t compare to the scent of the roofed garden, now it gave him the feeling of being wrapped in the scent of romance itself. The garden consisted of something similar to a ground floor and a first floor, where Lance was, but the wooden path surrounded by railings made of stems let him take a look at the bottom. There were floating flowers and flower bed everywhere.

Lance walked along the wooden path, until he saw Keith, leaning on one of the rails further away. His eyesight was lost among the flowers that floated in front of him. He didn’t notice Lance’s presence.

With that scenario in front of him, Lance heard Pidge’s voice say:

_Like in a fairytale._

He approached quietly until he found himself behind Keith.

“I knew you were not the type of person who likes parties, even if they’re elegant.” Keith jumped into place, turning to Lance.

Lance skimmed over the fact that Keith had positioned himself ready to fight for a moment, before acknowledging it.

“I’m fine,” he said dryly.

Lance sighed and came close to his side. Imitating him, he rested his weight on the stem railing. He was surprised to see that he was not breaking under Keith’s weight and his.

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“There are many people, right? I never imagined you as a person of crowds,” insisted Lance.

“I just needed air,” Keith replied, in the same tone. Lance wasn’t going to allow that.

“Oh, come on! I thought we bonded! Or at least there was a little more trust between us.” Keith looked at him, tensed his lips and turned his gaze to the flowers again.

“I’m sorry,” he said, closing his eyes.

“It’s okay. But seriously, why did you leave the party?” This time, Keith sighed.

“You’re right. I’m not for crowds.”

“So, why did you wanted to come? Why did you accept to come?” Lance asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I already told you so,” Keith frowned.

“Yeah, you said that you wanted to do it for the Blade, but why?” Keith remained silent for several minutes. Lance didn’t insist.

If he had learned anything about Keith, it was not to push him too much, he would speak when he felt ready. Even so, he didn’t want to leave the conversation there.

“I saw you dance with the Orkids,” he said softly to change the subject and end with the awkward silence.

“I stepped on her feet twice.” Keith frowned. Lance laughed. “What?”

“Nothing is just… you get frustrated by not knowing how to dance on a planet that you have never stepped on.”

“I didn’t see you to have a problem dancing?”

“That’s because I let it flow! It’s a dance, sometimes you have to let yourself go.”

“I don’t know how to do that.”

“Of course you do! You are just not aware of it.” Lance shrugged. And came up to push him gently.

Keith looked at him surprised.

Lance swore that Keith’s cheeks had colored a soft pink, but it could have been the light of the place playing with his senses.

“Like when?”

“When you fly. It is natural in you.”

“Are you making compliments to me?” he asked, surprised.

“I don’t know what are you talking about,” Lance said, trying to suppress a smile, moving closer to Keith. A strange thought crept into his mind, perhaps because of the influence of the place where they were.

“What are you doing?”

“Flowing with the moment.” Lance smiled exaggerating a wave motion with his arm. “Come on Keith, dance with me!”

In a quick movement, Lance took Keith by the waist and linked his free hand with Keith’s. Keith’s eyes widened, but although at first, he tensed, he relaxed a little.

“There’s no music here.”

“You don’t need it.”

Again, he took the reins unexpectedly and turned with Keith in his arms. Something that didn’t displease him at all.

Dancing with Keith, Lance took advantage of the fact that he hadn’t complained or separated, he devoted himself to seeing his face better. Her features had softened since she had found him in the garden. Lance liked the way his hair was pulled back, leaving a part of his neck exposed. He imagined tracing the softness of her skin with his lips.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep away the torrent of emotions he experienced again. Not having seen him in so long, not being able to talk to him, was an unpleasant sensation. Having him so close to him made him dread. Having him around was one of the warmest sensations he had experienced so far.

He didn’t know what he was feeling exactly.

After a few more turns through the garden, Keith stood still and stopped flowing with Lance, letting go of his hand and stepping back. He stared at the floor, hugging himself and Lance leaned toward him, worried.

“Keith?” Lance's eyes searched for Keith’s when he looked up.

“We needed to know if there were Galras on this planet or if they were any near them,” Keith said, almost in defeat.

Lance felt a void forming in his stomach, he understood what those words meant.

“Will you really leave after the gala?”

“There are still matters that I have to help the Blade with.”

“You’re not planning on coming back to us, are you?” Lance asked, deeply.

“What?”

“Yeah! Coming back to Voltron!”

“Lance, they need me in the Blade. I can’t abandon them.”

Lance gritted his teeth. “No, it’s not true! We need you,” he said annoyed. Keith looked at him surprised.

Lance felt the rush of emotions run through his body once again, it was too much for him and Pidge’s voice echoed in his mind once more.

_Maybe it’s time for you to stop lying to yourself about this._

Maybe it was time to stop fighting against his emotions, stop denying them and accept what he felt. To accept that all the time he was thinking about Keith, that sometimes he fantasized about kissing his lips and holding him in his arms to never let him go. Accept that with that suit, all his feelings were intensified to unknown limits. Accept that he missed him. Accept that he didn’t have just a crush on Keith, but that he was in love with him. And maybe, if he confessed, Keith could come back to the team. An immature fantasy, but what more could he ask for?

Dancing with him had been a rush. And the possibility that Keith felt the same for him was too much for him.

He didn’t understand why he kept running from the truth. His dark eyes might well have him hypnotized because he didn’t want to move, or move away. Had it ever crossed his mind that they had could be more than just friendship? More than an absurd rivalry?

This was an opportunity he had to take, maybe he could turn this moment into something that would last forever, even if it would remain as a memory.

_Do you feel the same way about me?_

Lance came closer and took his hands in his again.

“We need you,” he repeated, gathering the courage to continue.

“Lance,” Keith said softly, reflecting his confusion, “What are you doing?” he said nervously when Lance cradled his face with face his free hand. Keith’s eyes moved nervously, alternating his gaze to Lance’s eyes, to his lips and back.

Lance said nothing. He let himself be carried away by the scent that enveloped him, by the butterflies that fluttered in his stomach. He moved his hands, caressing his cheek. With his thumb, he stroked Keith’s lip before looking into his eyes.

“I need you more,” he said, driving Keith’s face to his by the chin.

It was a soft kiss, sweet and tender as the atmosphere that enveloped them, with mischievous friction and that made Lance see fireworks in his mind and then be completely empty. Keith was corresponding. Lance’s heart fluttered.

Because at that moment, there is magic that consumes you when you kiss the right person. The only thing Lance wanted more was to preserve this moment forever. Get drunk on Keith, his warmth, his taste, all of him. Feel his hands, his body close to him. The heat and passion that converge at the moment and only for that person.

Consume it and let himself be consumed. Wrapped around him the rest of the night.

The hand on Keith’s chin ran down his skin to the nape of his neck, drawing his face closer, deepening the kiss as much as he could. And even then it was not enough. Lance felt that his chest was about to burst and he didn’t know if it was from the lack of air or from the fact that he was kissing Keith. When Keith’s hand moved over his waist holding him closer, Lance thought his heart would run out and spin around the room, shouting:

_I’m kissing Keith! I’m kissing him!_

Keith pulled away, breathing hard, leaning his forehead against Lance’s. They met each other’s eyes before Keith kissed him again, more aggressively this time. Passionate, sensual, and caused an electric current to travel the skin of both with each touch. Lance clung to Keith’s head, running his fingers through his hair, sighing when the kiss stopped again.

“That…” Keith began, panting. “Why was that?”

“Who cares?” Lance said smiling because he didn’t know what else to do. He hugged Keith hard and buried his face in Keith’s collarbone. “Whatever happens and whatever you feel, promise me that you will come back with us”.

Keith’s arms wrapped him without any pressure, inviting him out of the embrace whenever Lance wanted to.

“I promise,” Keith said softly.

“Can we… can we talk about this when you return to the team?” Lance pulled away from the hug.

“What? Why? What is there to talk about?” Keith asked, raising his eyebrows. Lance laughed.

“I-I mean, I don’t know if you feel the same way about me, and I really don’t know what am I feeling! It’s like a whirlpool every time I see you.” Lance stroked Keith’s cheek again. To his surprise, Keith pressed his hand against Lance’s.

“If I tell you that I feel the same… what would happen then?” His eyes shone, pleading and adorable.

“I.. I don’t know,” Lance hesitated. “I’ll probably kiss you, but if I do, we’ll have a problem.”

“Which one?”

“It would be impossible for me to let you go.” Keith brushed Lance’s lips, asking permission with his eyes. Lance shortened the distance again, kissing his like his life depended on it, clinging to each other.

The kiss broke again and this time it was Keith who smiled.

“I promise I’ll be back,” Keith whispered. Lance nodded.

Both fell into a new silence, leaning on the railing to admire the garden again.

“What happens now?” Keith asked.

“What do you want to happen?” Lance said softly. Keith leaned his head on Lance’s shoulder and rested his hand on top of Lance’s.

“You,” he said, firmly.

Lance’s heart may well have been fired on a rocket.

“For real?” He asked, breathlessly.

“Why would I lie?” Lance shook his head, smiling.

“All this is very confusing, and it’s happening… so fast.”

“I thought you just let it flow.” Lance heard Keith smile, “Wouldn’t you do it now?” Lance turned to see him. Keith’s eyes shone as brightly as the lights inside the ballroom.

“Maybe I should.”

They kissed for most of the night in the lights of the garden, enjoying the moment with the flowers as only witnesses of the romance. Lance thought that was the purpose of the garden.

By the time they returned to the hall in the castle, Lance invited Keith to dance.

And they did the rest of the night.

Lance felt like in a reverie again, one he would never want to wake up from. He felt himself floating and his feet felt so light with each turn.

At least Until Allura appeared, telling them it was time to retire.

Back in the Castle of Lions, Lance said to himself that when Keith returned to the team, he wouldn’t let him go again.

He would confess his feeling without fear because at some point while they were dancing, all the pieces had fallen into place and he couldn’t feel better.

Except when they had to separate.

Outside of that, it had been a great night. And on top of that, the Orkids were now part of the coalition.

Pidge and Hunk had been very kind in letting him rest, but not before making him swear about telling them all the details of the night. All. The. Details.

He closed his eyes and settled next to Keith on the bed, stroking his hair. He would leave the next day, so Lance wanted to take advantage of every moment they could spend together, as soon as his friends had left the room.

He had enjoyed the night so much just dancing with Keith, he had forgotten to ask Allura for a dance.

It didn’t matter anymore. Not when he had Keith by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> I was having a bad day while writing this, it cheers me up a little so I hope it makes you happy too.  
> Fun fact: The Cattleya is an orchid.  
> Please let me know what you think.  
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
